WITSEC owned the cabin
by CanadaGrizzly
Summary: Kaplan is found by a blonde woman and her Rottweiler Nanny instead of the angry mountain man. What happened if Red kept a big secret from her all those years never telling her that her heart was only miles away from DC? What if Dembe knew all along. Short chp1. All others will be way longer. Please review! Send me your ideas !
1. A knight in scuffed up boots

Everything was hazy. The ground was cold under her head and a light must of rain was falling, causing the woman to shiver. She felt a cold nose press into her cheek, heard a loud, deep bark and the sound of running foot steps.

"Oh my God. What happened to you?" The voice was scratchy, with an accent she couldn't place. Everything hurt. She couldn't focus. "Nanny. Go back to the house." The woman ordered. She felt herself lifted up in strong arms before succumbing to darkness again.

"There now. Easy Hun. Easy. Don't you try to get up now you hear? The bullet was a through and through but the wound is infected. " Kate opened her eyes, shocked at the intensity of the woman's seafoam green gaze. She opened her mouth, the simple movement sending jolts of pain through her skull and down her back.

"How..how long..." She struggled to clear her mind, remembering the last time she'd been shot in the head. How long has she been here?

"Three days darlin. I've managed to get you to keep a bit of broth down but now that you're fully conscious would you like some rabbit stew?" Kate found she was dressed in a white night dress with a hand embroidered A on the sleeve. The woman had changed her dressed her wounds and fed her.

"He'll kill you. Kate whispered fear in her voice. "He's...he's not a good man." She winced as a shot of pain ripped through her skull.

"Shhh" the woman soothed, spooning stew into Kate's mouth. " he won't hurt me. And he won't hurt you. Nothing can hurt me anymore. I have no one left I love." Kate saw pain in the seafoam eyes.

" I only have my Masha even that I'm not sure of. I lost everything when I defied Reddington. But really I havnt cared about anyone since I was 26 years old." It shocked her that she was revealing so much information but she felt safe doing so.

"I'm Annabeth." The seafoam eyes looked so achingly familiar it tore at her heart like a thousand knives. "Call me Beth if you like, but not...not.."

" why are you crying?" Kate's voice was hoarse and moving hurt but she reached out to grab a mountain worn hand. She gently traced the circular scar.

"Im Kate."


	2. I lost my love too

"Kate?" Kaplan saw pain cross the aging features. "I once knew someone by that name. She was..." The woman paused, staring at the scar on her hand for long time before answering. "She was my heart. My life. My world."

"What happened to her?" Kaplan asked, looking at her with interest. She tried to sit up, surprised when Annabeth gently pushed her back down.

"She..She died." Annabeth's eyes filled with tears. "It's been forty years this December, and I have never, nor will I ever have another lover. She was my whole heart."

"I understand, more than..more than you know." Kate said softly.

"No. you Don't. How could you? Have you ever lost anyone?" Kate was taken aback by the venom in the woman's voice. "You DON'T know what it was like. "My Kathrine was everything to me. I was going to propose to her that night."

Kate looked at her, eyes full of sadness. She tried to sit up, tried to offer some form of comfort to the other woman, the person who had saved her life. "Annabeth. I actually have lost someone who I loved, more than anything else in this world or any other. She died in my arms. I lost her. And it's my fault. That's the worst part of it. It's my fault."

"No." Annabeth said softly. "No Kate. It isn't your fault. She died,but It wasn't your fault. Here-" With a practiced hand, Annabeth helped her to lie back down. "Shh...hush now. take your medication . Close your eyes again Darlin' "

Kate's breathing calmed as she lay there, comforted by the warm soft hand stroking her cheek. She didn't understand why this woman was helping her, helping her to stay calm, out of pain, and well fed. She allowed her tired, battered body to rest in the warmth of the other woman's arms. It had been years since she'd slept beside another in this way. True, she had slept beside Liz when she'd taken her and Agnes to safety but it wasn't like this. She had been the protector, the mother then. Now, she was the one being protected. She chuckled to herself, internally. She was a seasoned cleaner. She needed no protection. Yet, she felt safe, warm, cared for.

"NO!" Kate screamed, thrashing in the throes of another nightmare. "NO! don't shoot her."

"Kate! Kate wake up! " Annabeth turned the light on, rushing to pull Kate into her arms. "Hey...shhhhhhhhh...hush now. Shhh...No one's going to shoot anyone. I'm here. I'm right here. I wont let anything bad happen to you or to anyone else."

"Where am I? What happened to me? " It took her a moment to focus. "Annabeth?" "Annabeth? I'm sorry to wake you. I seem to have dreams like this most nights. Always the same one. "

"Want to talk about it?" Kate looked up into Annabeth's gentle eyes. The moon light shone through the window on the golden grey hair. The blue eyes seemed to sparkle in the soft light, and for a moment, it was like she was with Annie again, sitting on the love seat on the back porch, having a late night chat over a bottle of wine.

"It's...we're in the office...then...He comes in...I watch everything like Its a movie on a screen. I see myself make the move that sets everything in motion. I watch as the love of my life bleeds out in my arms.." She looks away. "If I hadn't reached for the phone. If I hadn't tried to be the hero...My Annie would still be alive."

"You don't know that!" Annabeth said, her words sharper than intended. She back tracked when she saw the expression on Kate's face. "If I hadn't convinced my Kathrine to take off of work, to come and visit me at my job. She would still be alive. Granted, I would be dead, but that is a small price to pay for the life of the one that you love." Annabeth sighed, helping Kate to lay back on the bed. "Close your eyes. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."

Kate lay back down, surprised when the other woman lay her head down on the pillow next to Kate. She moved until her head was touching Annabeth's comforted by the gentle warmth that she felt. "I miss her."

"Oh Honey. I know. I know." Annabeth's voice was soothing. She began to hum a soft song that reached deep into Kate's memories. Within minutes, the Cleaner was asleep.


End file.
